Bill Murray Will Release a Classical Music Album, Go on Tour

Bill Murray will release a classical music album this summer.

According to the New York Times, the actor will release “New Worlds,” a program of songs and literary readings that go along with chamber music led by cellist Jan Vogler.

He will be singing the music of George Gershwin and Stephen Foster, as well as songs from “West Side Story.” On the literary side, he will be reading Whitman and Hemingway while Vogler’s trio, including Mira Wang, his wife, on violin, and Vanessa Perez at the piano, will play Schubert, Bach and Piazzolla.

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The act will have its United States premiere at Festival Napa Valley in California on July 20, followed by a North American tour that will conclude at Carnegie Hall on Oct. 16.

The project dates back to early 2013, when Vogler and Murray were sitting across from each other on a flight from Berlin to New York. Murray then invited Vogler to Poets House’s annual poetry walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, after which they began developing the classical music project. It’s being billed as Bill Murray, Jan Vogler & Friends.

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Vogler has played with major orchestras including the New York Philharmonic. Murray recently made a vocal appearance on Paul Shaffer’s latest album, on which he sang a song titled “Happy Street.”

“New Worlds,” intended to explore themes of American history and identity, is planned for a release in August.

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